Millions for CCSD School Construction, & North Charleston Suffers

Monday's article on overcrowded schools should leave some North Charleston parents shaking their heads. The most overcrowded elementary schools in the Charleston County School District are in North Charleston. No one noticed that North Charleston was growing.

Funny how that happened.

This phenomenon reveals why those school board members elected to represent a particular area (North Charleston) should not only live there but also be elected solely by those who also reside there. The last school board election revealed how a candidate who represents North Charleston can be elected with a majority of votes from Mt. Pleasant. 

How does that represent North Charleston, again?

Of course, the CCSD School Board can point out how the county's best schools, such as Academic Magnet, are located in North Charleston. They're not going to tell you what percentage of these student bodies are composed of North Charleston residents. Not much.

Is the district so lame-brained that it can't figure out years in advance that a school such as Dunston Elementary will become overcrowded? Sounds as though it needs better demographic studies.

Or is the answer that more affluent parents who know how to work the system get their students' needs met first?

Percent of capacity:

Dunston--173

North Charleston Creative Arts--169

Pinehurst--165

Ladson--151